Buying Advice Why are there so many low hour tractors for sale!?

gocards1177 · May 4, 2012

I've noticed on Tractor House that there are often tractors for sale with <20 hours! Are these demo units in all likelihood? I guess what I'm wanting to avoid is some newly purchased lemon that was traded back in or a tractor that had some sort of querk/rattle/etc. I could just call the dealer and ask why this is, but I'm wondering if it's for a simple reason or something I'm not even thinking of.

mfreund · May 4, 2012

My GUESS would be there were a lot of people who could not afford the payments as the economy got worse, now they are repo'd and for sale.

IslandTractor · May 4, 2012

I suspect some of those are actually new tractors. It is unusual to get a tractor from a dealer without at least 4-5 hours on the clock (and I would worry that it had not been set up and tested properly if there were not at least that many hours showing). Any tractor sitting on the lot is going to be test driven on the lot and started to keep the battery charged.

Thomas · May 4, 2012

As mfreund posted also starting to see it my area...small business taking it hard.

foggy1111 · May 4, 2012

My son-in-law bought a CUT from the John Deere dealer with 50 hours or so. The dealer told him that each year they buy one for use in parades and golf events, the mall, and such. They gave him a good deal on it.

I think some miss-purchase too....and trade for what they should have bought. No doubt a few get repo'd.

There's always a few cars like that at the car dealer too.

vtsnowedin · May 4, 2012

You also have the Baby boomers retiring and buying the tractor they always wanted and then finding out they don't know how to run it or their health deteriorates and plans change. I have a neighbor that is a new widow with a very nice orange 4wd tractor w fel etc. along with the thirty foot camper, four wheelers and snow machines. The vultures are circling.

IslandTractor · May 4, 2012

vtsnowedin said:
You also have the Baby boomers retiring and buying the tractor they always wanted and then finding out they don't know how to run it or their health deteriorates and plans change. I have a neighbor that is a new widow with a very nice orange 4wd tractor w fel etc. along with the thirty foot camper, four wheelers and snow machines. The vultures are circling.

I think those might account for tractors with only a hundred or so hours but less than 20 hours is essentially new. Whoever bought it would have put that many hours on in the first week or two so would not likely have a change of heart so quickly.

Stick895 · May 4, 2012

I just looked quickly and a lot of the Mahindras are 2WD, so unscientifically I think that supports the trade in for what they should have gotten theory.

mogwai · May 4, 2012

IslandTractor said:
I suspect some of those are actually new tractors. It is unusual to get a tractor from a dealer without at least 4-5 hours on the clock (and I would worry that it had not been set up and tested properly if there were not at least that many hours showing). Any tractor sitting on the lot is going to be test driven on the lot and started to keep the battery charged.

These will be sold as new tractors with full warranty.

I went thru this in my recent purchase of a Workmaster. Dealer had a "used" one on the lot w/ 5 hrs. Guy bought it, took it home and realized he wanted a smaller framed Boomer. Unfortunately for the dealer, that tractor is not eligible for new vehicle financing nor manufacturer deals.

They priced a "new" Workmaster 55 (w/ 5 hrs on test driving and mowing the dealer lot) just $1,000 more than that "used" WM45...and I got new financing to boot.